Box catch for watch bracelets



NOV. 23, 19.48.v Q E FQNTMNE 2,454,439

BOX CATCH FOR WATCH BRACELETS Filed June 5, 1947 I INVENTQR.

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Patented Nov. 23, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOXCATCH FOR WATCH BRACELETS Clarence F. H. Fontaine, Newport, .R. I., assignor to Marvel Jewelry Mfg. Company, Providence,

R. I., a corporation of Rhode Island Application June 5, 1947, Serial No. 752,696

1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to improvements in box catches for watch bracelets and the like and has for an object to provide a box catch having a double lock upon the bracelet chain whereby to provide a more elfective catch and one that will more properly center the catch with respect to the links of the chain bracelet.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved box catch having also a double lock for its separable sections whereby mating balls and sockets are resiliently engaged at both sides of the catch to more effectively maintain the sections in the closed position upon the bracelet chain, thereby more effectively engaging the double lock with such chain. v

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved catch which will lock the chain in such manner that any forward or backward motion will set up a strain acting to keep the front and back lock closed at all times and requiring that the catch must be fully opened before such catch may be slid along with respect to the bracelet.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved box catch which can be easily detached or disassembled without the use of tools.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, in which like parts are denoted by the same reference characters throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a conventional type of bracelet with parts broken away and parts shown in section and with the improved box catch shown in the locked condition thereon;

Figure 2 is a side elevational View of the same;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through a portion of the bracelet and substantially centrally through the box catch;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the improved catch in the open position; and

Figure 5 is a cross section of a detail showing the lock between the two sections.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, H) designates an anchor chain having an attached hollow bar H at one end whereby the same may be detachably engaged with the frame of a wrist watch in a conventional manner.

At the other end of the anchor chain I is an open link l2 through which the chain bracelet slides. The lower run of such chain bracelet is indicated at l3 and its upper run at M. Such chain bracelet is or may be composed of the usual open'flat links l and the looped links 16, which latter are made with the looped ends I! engaging through the slots l8 of the adjoining flat links l5.

The improved box catch comprises generally a base section 19 and an outer or top section 20. The base section I9 is formed with an integral extension 2| having a slot 22 in which one of the loops ll of the end loop of the lower run [3 of the chain bracelet is engaged as shown in Figure 3. The upper run [4 slides relatively through the catch between the sections l9 and 20.

The base section [9 which may be formed of sheet metal possessing inherent resiliency is formed with upstanding side flanges 23 having aligned perforations 24 in the rear end portions thereof positioned to receive the outstanding pintles 25 on the rear end portion of the outer section 20, whereby the two sections are hinged together.

In the flanges 23 near the forward ends thereof are outwardly pressed beads 26 adapted to snap into sockets 28 outwardly pressed from the preferably resilient fianges 21 of the outer section 20.

This outer section 20 is also formed at its front and rear edges with downwardly bent catch flanges '29 and 30 adapted to enter the slots l8 of the flat links I5, as shown in Figure 3.

A finger knob 3| on the forward or free end of the outer section 20 provides for forcible application of the fingers to move the sections apart against the ball and socket catches 26, 28, of which there are two at the front lateral portions of the sections. The flanges 21 of the top or outer section overlap at their front portions the corresponding front portions of the base section flanges 23. Strengthening or ornamental beads 32 are pressed inwardly or outwardly from the outer section 20. Both sections may be somewhat rounded to conform to the contour of the wrist In Figure 1 there is also shown a hollow bar 33 attached to the outer end of the upper run I 4 of the chain bracelet for attachment to the other side of the wrist watch frame.

In the use of the device, by engagement of the knob 3| the lid '20 may be pried upwardly withdrawing its flange catches 29 and 30 from the flat links 15 of the upper bracelet run l4 and the catch may thereupon be pulled back or forth about the upper run It, thus lengthening or shortening the bracelet and causing it to take up about the wrist. When the proper take-up position is reached, the outer section 20 may be rotated about the pintles 25 to close the two sections l9 and 20 in which condition the double lock 29, 30 is fastened, as

3 indicated in- Figure 3, one look at each end of the box catch. There are also two side locks 26, 28 provided which tend to maintain the box in the closed position.

Therefore an effective four-lock box catch is provided locking upon the bracelet at two widely separated points and also locking together its two sections at opposite sides thereof.

While I' have disclosed herein the best form of the invention known to me at the present time, I

desire it to be understood that I reserve the right to make changes and modifications in the herein described embodiment of the invention provided such changes fall within the scope of the following claim.

What I claim is:

For use with a bracelet having slotted links;

arranged slidably in upper and lower runs, an

for engaging in separated open links of the upper run, and means for locking the two sections of the bracelet together with the two catches engaging such upper run, said means comprising perforated flanges on one section and outwardly extending pintles on one of the catches of the other section, said pintles rotatably fitted in the perforations of the flanges.

CLARENGE' F.

REFERENCES CITED The following; references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 939,902. Fr'arrison Nov. 9, 1909 1,783,306 Otten Dec. 2, 1930 1,820,393 Kesterman. Aug. 25, 1931 1,945,266 Einsele Jan. 30, 1934 2;2'7"1',13-3- Thoresen Jan. 27., 1942 2,401,297 Forstn-er June 4, 1946' 

